Finance start-up celebrates award success

A North East business support start-up is celebrating regional recognition as it continues its mission to help under-represented founders access the tools they need to grow.

Newcastle-based CO4CH has won the Early Stage Stand Out Award in the North East, Yorkshire and The Humber category of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards. 

Founded by Beth Crosier in 2025, the company supports ambitious founders with financial modelling, fundraising guidance and fractional finance, and is preparing to launch a free learning platform for early-stage entrepreneurs through its Finance 4 Founders community.

CO4CH recently introduced a Female Founder Initiative aimed at increasing access to support, opportunities and investment for women-led companies. 

The programme was created to help address the long-standing funding gap facing under-represented founders, with women receiving less than two per cent of UK venture capital investment in 2023.

Beth said: “Our goal is to empower female founders to understand their finances, build confidence and be ready to secure the funding they need to scale.

“We wanted to take what’s usually kept out of reach and make it available to founders who are often overlooked, underestimated and underserved.

“What all of these founders have in common is a clear sense of purpose.

“They’re building businesses that aren’t just about making money – they’re about making a real, sustainable difference, and we’re proud to support them as they bring that vision to life.” 

CO4CH’s work has already reached a wide community, delivering 239 hours of pro bono support to entrepreneurs who may otherwise have struggled to access specialist financial expertise. 

Among the ventures supported are Financielle, the financial wellbeing app founded by BBC Morning Live finance expert Laura Pomfret and her sister Holly Holland, alongside other growing female-led companies including Wac, Noggin HQ, Fabric Academy and Polybox.

Beth said she plans to build on the company’s momentum as demand for accessible, founder-friendly financial guidance continues to grow, with CO4CH also preparing to roll out its signature Start – Fund – Scale programmes nationwide next year.

She added: “Founders tell us their biggest challenge isn’t coming up with ideas; it’s their lack of access to capital and the right network that holds them back. 

“Access to both these things shouldn’t depend on who you know or where you're based. 

“Our network gives them the confidence they need, so that everything else can start to move.” 

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